Road Trip
by magnetosdaughter
Summary: A short series of scenes with Carol and Peter on a road trip. Carol Danvers/Peter Parker. Third and last scene up, thanks for reading!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Road Trip

**Fandom: **Avengers

**Pairing:** Carol Danvers/Peter Parker

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters.

**Author's Notes: **a short series of stories about Carol and Peter on a road trip

i.

"Whatta ya think, Sweetheart?"

Peter strikes a pose and twirls an imaginary mustache. The display is as out of place in the general store as the beret is on his head. Carol makes a face.

"The hat or the sweetheart?"

"Both." She turns away but the smile she can't quite hide encourages him.

"Okay. How's this, Pumpkin?"

Carol glances back to find the black beret replaced by a red stocking cap with antlers and the words _Oh, Canada_ stitched at the brow. Her eyes widen. "Too Halloween."

"Too scary, Cupcake?"

"No."

He gestures to a display. "We can get some penny candy, Lollipop."

"We're not in grade school."

"Coffee? Streudel?"

Carol replaces the knickknack she was looking at and scrunches her nose at him. "Is that a name or are you hungry?"

He grins his Petey grin. "Both!"

She thwaps him. "Stop calling me after things you eat!"

Peter leans in, undaunted. "Are _you_ hungry...Your Worshipfulness?"

That same smile tugs at her lips. "Closer."

"Is that a yes or no, Nerfherder?"

She thwaps him again. "That's an insult!" But her smile is free as she turns back to not-actually-shopping.

Peter follows along. "It's not reeeeeaaaaaally."

Carol rolls her eyes. "Yes."

"Okay!" He stops. "Wait. Yes, what?"

She makes it to the end of the aisle and turns back once again. "Yes, I'm hungry."

Peter salutes as he joins her. "Okay, whatcha want, Stickers?" He grins a very self-satisfied _oh, I'm so clever_ grin.

She pulls her lips in over her teeth; it is pretty clever. But. "Too complicated. Fudge."

Peter frowns. "You said no food names!" Carol points to a counter by the candy bins. Homemade Fudge Daily. "Oh."

Carol takes his hand and pulls him over. They peer in at signs explaining the different flavors. "What do you want?"

He shrugs, pulling her hand up with him. "You can choose." There's something in his tone that makes her look away from the case. It's in his eyes, too.

"Why do you want to call me some silly name?"

"I don't." There's something in his tone that makes her unable to look away. She chews her lip; he lifts his free hand to still it. It's in his eyes, too.

"What can I get for you?" The server looks from one to the other.

Peter smiles and drops his hand. "Have you decided, Sunshine?"

Carol takes a breath and smiles, too. She nods, turns to the counter and points. "That one."


	2. Chapter 2

Peter has a knack for finding the most ridiculous souvenirs in any gift shop. In Niagara it was a bright yellow "Moose Crossing" license plate.

_We don't have a _car_, Peter._

In Indiana it was a kit for bottling their own maple syrup.

_We live in _Manhattan_, Peter!_

In Pennsylvania it was an entirely too large teddy bear handmade by the Amish.

_How are we supposed to get that _home_, Peter?_

Carol imagines if they went to Bali he would want a snow globe.

Graceland was a challenge. The store was a whole new level of ridiculous. But Peter succeeded in finding an umbrella not large enough to keep the rain off even a toddler. It was pink and emblazoned with the silhouette and signature of Elvis. They spent half an hour arguing over where it would go in their apartment. But Peter has a knack for being infuriatingly clever sometimes, too. Carol threw up her hands and went to find the malt shop while he purchased the umbrella.

Most of New Orleans was closed when they hit the streets Sunday morning.

_Don't worry, Peter, I'm sure we can get a voodoo doll tomorrow._

They'd decided to head toward the water when they heard the singing. The large number of people in the church made it look smaller than it actually was and the sound filled the air. Peter smiled and kept walking but Carol stood still, oddly riveted. He returned to her side, but at her expression didn't ask why she'd stopped. Instead he waited for her to say.

Carol is not a religious person. She hadn't been to a church more than maybe ten times since she was a child and they were all weddings or funerals. Mostly funerals. She didn't care. She didn't notice. It wasn't important, not even worth discussing, Peter didn't go to church regularly either. She couldn't explain what held her there if he had asked. Something in the song? Something about a sparrow. Something that should frighten her, maybe, but what she felt was the opposite of fear. She looked over, would not have been surprised to find worry in his eyes, but he was simply waiting and there was only affection.

She reached out and took his hand and returned to walking. The sun was warm on their shoulders and the singing continued from behind. At the corner, Peter stopped and bent down to the ground; still holding her hand he picked up a stone with the other. He straightened, gave her a wink and a small kiss.

_Souvenir._


	3. Chapter 3

He was watching the sun set when she found him. Not the sunset. There's a difference.

"I want to go home."

"Okay." He spoke quietly, still watching the sky.

"You don't want to know why?"

"No."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Okay, I want to know why, but I don't need to know why."

"What do you need to know?"

A long silent moment went by; finally Peter turned to look at her.

"Where did you go today."

She'd woken in his arms, content and calm, and it crossed her mind she wanted to wake every day in his arms. At the thought she instantly and inexplicably needed to get away.

"I don't understand, where are you going to go?"

"Just somewhere. Nowhere. I don't know."

"But by yourself."

"Yeah." She crossed her arms, shrugging, and she looked smaller than he'd ever seen her. He wanted to pull her into his arms but every sense was telling him not to.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Oh."

It wasn't anything to do with him. She tried to say and he tried to believe her. It was unclear how successful either of them were. She issn't used to constants. Possibly because when they show up she runs away but is now the time to dwell on that? She's in the middle of running away.

"I'll be back before dark."

"Ok." She was paused at the door; he sat on the bed, not watching her.

"Before sunset."

"Ok."

"I'm fast." She hadn't moved and neither had he; he looked up at the note of quiet pleading in her voice.

"I know."

"Take the day, do whatever. Have fun."

"Ok." She waited for his smile but it didn't come.

He was watching the sun set when she found him. Down the road from the motel, or up as it was a hill. Too far to walk, it's a long road...he could do it, of course, much easier than most, but that's not the point. He'd found a perfect place to watch the sun set, elevated yet hidden, the road and its unlit streetlamps the only sign of civilization for as far as the eye can see.

...A long silent moment went by; finally Peter turned to look at her.

"Where did you go today."

She chewed her lip. It wasn't a question, really, the way he said it. It was an answer. Carol shook her head, tried to force her thoughts in order, tried to come up with some way to explain. He was watching, waiting with a patience that scared her; she forced her mouth open but all that came out was a sob. She was clutched tight in his arms, her face smashed against his chest, before she fully realized she was crying.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me."

His heart was pounding in her ear as she shook her head. "I didn't go anywhere." Maybe it was her heart. "There wasn't anywhere to go."

"It's okay."

"It's _not_."

He pulled back just enough to take her face in his hands and force her to meet his eyes. "We'll make it okay." She swallowed, his hands were warm against her cheeks. "We'll make it okay."

Carol took a deep breath and nodded. Her tears dried up and she straightened her shoulders, transforming before his eyes. "That's my girl." She made a face. "Woman." She laughed quietly.

"I'm my own woman."

"You can't be both?"

She leaned into his chest again. "Maybe."

"You're my sunshine."

"Your only sunshine?"

"No." He shifted until she was facing the horizon but still tucked up against him.

"I didn't miss it." He kissed the top of her head. They watched together as the sun slipped away. She took another deep breath and whispered into the wind. "You're my home."

"I'm glad."

_Fin._


End file.
